Russia developing anti-satellite weapon to target Starlink, NATO intelligence warns

Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to attack Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation, a report by intelligence services from two NATO nations has alleged.

The intelligence report seen by the Associated Press claims that since Western space superiority has helped Ukraine in its war against Russia, Russia plans to disrupt orbiting satellites with destructive clouds of shrapnel.

The weapon, codenamed “zone-effect”, would use high-density pallets to disrupt orbiting of Starlink satellites; however, it could cause collateral damage to other orbiting systems as well.

Experts who have not seen the report warn that such a weapon would be catastrophic for everyone, including Russia and its ally China - as every country relies on orbiting satellites for communication, defence and other vital needs.

A space-security specialist at the Secure World Foundation, Victoria Samson, said, “I don’t buy it, I really don’t. I would be very surprised frankly, if they were to do something like that.”

Brigadier General Christopher Horner, commander of the Canadian military’s Space Division, said that in the light of previous U.S. allegations about Russia developing a space-based nuclear weapon, the new possibility cannot be ruled out.

He said, “It is not implausible and it won’t strike me as shocking if they are willing to go to that extent.”

Moscow has yet to offer a comment on the report.